Zhuang Zi'ang and Su Yudie, whom he had just met, walked side-by-side down the bustling street.
Every day at noon when school let out, this place would become lively.
There were many snack stalls on both sides of the street, and the aroma of various foods wafted through the air.
After experiencing intense emotional fluctuations, Zhuang Zi'ang had calmed down somewhat and only then realized he was hungry.
He asked Su Yudie, "Why did you skip class?"
Su Yudie said with a naive expression, "I didn't skip class, I went to pick ginkgo leaves."
"Nonsense, it's clearly class time, why aren't you in the classroom?" Zhuang Zi'ang asked.
"Our class has P.E.," Su Yudie explained with a smile.
Zhuang Zi'ang was instantly speechless.
He had been too sad earlier and hadn't paid attention to whether there were students having P.E. on the sports field.
He only remembered that it was very quiet under those ginkgo trees.
"What about you? Why did you skip class?" Su Yudie asked.
"I didn't skip class either; I asked the teacher for leave. I didn't want anyone to see me crying," Zhuang Zi'ang said with a very wronged tone.
He thought he had hidden it well and that no one would find out.
Who would have thought that a girl would be hiding in the tree, witnessing his sorrow in its entirety?
Su Yudie was a little puzzled but didn't press further, saying on a whim, "Then I'll take you to eat something delicious, and you'll feel better."
The 'delicious food' Su Yudie spoke of was fried potatoes.
Potatoes, this ingredient, truly are a generous gift from nature to humanity; they can be a staple food or a vegetable.
Their myriad cooking methods present countless delicacies.
The auntie at the stall cut the potatoes into small pieces and fried them in oil until they were a beautiful golden color.
Then she sprinkled them with salt and pepper, cumin powder, chili powder, chopped green onions, and white sesame seeds.
The outer shell was crispy, and the inside was soft and glutinous.
Su Yudie, who considered herself a gourmet, repeatedly emphasized that fried potatoes had to be spicy enough to be satisfying, and she asked the auntie to add more chili.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, wait for me here for a moment, I'm going to buy soda, Coke or Pepsi?"
"Coke."
It is well known that Coke has more fizz, while Pepsi is sweeter.
Zhuang Zi'ang wanted more fizz now.
A few minutes later, the two newly acquainted individuals sat on marble steps, eating fried potatoes.
The auntie selling potatoes was very honest and added a lot of chili.
Zhuang Zi'ang's tongue was almost numb, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Su Yudie wasn't much better; her little face was flushed red from the spice, and she was gulping down iced Coke.
"Tell me your sad story to make me happy!" the girl suddenly said, blinking her clear, bright eyes.
"Are you trying to rub salt in my wounds?" Zhuang Zi'ang said irritably.
"No, if you tell your sad story, maybe it won't be so sad anymore," Su Yudie said, biting her straw.
Zhuang Zi'ang turned his head and looked at the elegant curve of her profile.
Her harmless, innocent appearance easily earned people's trust.
He hesitated for a moment, then slowly began, "When I graduated from primary school at twelve, one summer evening, my dad said our whole family was going on a trip to the seaside. I had never seen the ocean before, and I was so excited I couldn't sleep all night, packing my luggage right away…"
"Wow, your dad is so nice, I've never seen the ocean either," Su Yudie said with a look of longing.
"But when I woke up the next day, I found that the three of them had already left. It turned out that the 'whole family' my dad spoke of didn't include me." Zhuang Zi'ang's eyes dimmed instantly.
Su Yudie: "…"
The atmosphere became a bit awkward for a moment.
Su Yudie wanted to comfort him but didn't know how to start.
She speared a piece of potato with a bamboo skewer and offered it to Zhuang Zi'ang's mouth: "Do you want to try mine?"
"Aren't they all the same?" Zhuang Zi'ang was surprised.
"No, this one is from me feeding you." Su Yudie's eyes were as clear as a lake after spring rain.
Zhuang Zi'ang tasted her potato, and the flavor was indeed just as spicy.
Yet, a hint of sweetness arose in his heart.
"When I was fourteen, I ranked first in the entire grade on my exams. The school held a parent-teacher conference, and the teacher wanted my parents to speak on stage and share their experience in educating children. But my dad told my mom to go, and my mom told my dad to go, and in the end, neither of them went."
As Zhuang Zi'ang recalled the past, his eyes unconsciously reddened.
That was the most embarrassing afternoon of his life.
On his desk lay the test papers, almost perfect in every subject, yet no one cared.
Adorned with a full halo of glory, he couldn't find a single relative to cheer for him.
He was like a child abandoned by heaven, having been deprived of his parents' love for too long, gradually becoming desperate.
Even now, suffering from a terminal illness, he didn't know whether to tell his dad or his mom.
This sadness was a thorn embedded in Zhuang Zi'ang's heart, something he had never spoken to anyone about.
But the girl in front of him gave him an inexplicable sense of trust.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, you're having a nosebleed! I'm sorry, it must be because these potatoes are too spicy."
Su Yudie hastily pulled out a tissue and helped Zhuang Zi'ang stop the bleeding.
Her hand gently supported Zhuang Zi'ang's back of the head, carefully wiping away the warm blood.
Zhuang Zi'ang felt as if a warm current permeated his skin from her fingertips.
The bitterness that had been weighing on his heart also gradually dissipated.
After the bleeding stopped, Zhuang Zi'ang said gratefully, "Thank you, I've been having nosebleeds frequently for the past six months; it's not because of the potatoes."
Su Yudie pulled out a wad of cash from her pocket, counted it briefly, took out two small bills, and stuffed the rest into Zhuang Zi'ang's hand.
She said softly, "I'll keep some money for the ride home, and you can use the rest to treat yourself to food. Anyway, when I'm sad, I eat a lot of delicious food, and it seems to make me less sad."
Zhuang Zi'ang laughed, "In this world, only love and delicious food should not be let down. But I'm a guy, I'll treat you!"
"No, I'll treat you today. Next time I'm sad, you can treat me," Su Yudie pouted stubbornly.
"Alright then, I'm thick-skinned and never stand on ceremony with people," Zhuang Zi'ang readily agreed.
After finishing their potatoes and soda, the two embarked again on their culinary conquest.
Su Yudie skipped along, her skirt fluttering.
She really was like a Xiao Hudie, dancing gracefully.
As soon as she saw something delicious, she couldn't move her feet, drooling with craving—a true little foodie.
The two walked and ate all the way, from lamb skewers to hand-grabbed pancakes, from Oden to spicy hot pot.
After Su Yudie ran out of money, Zhuang Zi'ang spent money to buy her a strawberry milk tea.
He himself was too full, so he didn't get another drink.
"Wow, Zhuang Zi'ang, this is so good!" Su Yudie exclaimed with exaggerated praise.
"Keep your voice down, don't act like you've never seen the world," Zhuang Zi'ang feigned disdain.
"It's really good, do you want to try some?" Su Yudie held up the cup.
"How can I try it?" Zhuang Zi'ang saw the straw stuck in it, covered with teeth marks.
Even if she hadn't bitten it like that, the two of them couldn't share a straw, could they? After all, they had only known each other for an hour; men and women should keep their distance.
Su Yudie, as if performing magic, pulled out a straw from behind her back: "I asked for an extra one when I bought the Coke earlier."
With a 'plop', she inserted the straw into the cup.
"Here, have a sip."
Zhuang Zi'ang stared at the girl's clear eyes, hesitated for a while, but ultimately couldn't resist, lowering his head and taking a sip.
The mellow aroma of the milk tea bloomed on his tongue, with a long-lasting aftertaste.
It was clearly just ordinary strawberry milk tea, yet it tasted much better than usual.
Drinking the same cup of milk tea with two straws was usually something only couples did.
Was she doing this intentionally or was she just naive?
Zhuang Zi'ang mused that although his looks weren't bad, it wasn't enough for such a beautiful girl to fall in love at first sight.
So, she must just be naturally clumsy.
"Zhuang Zi'ang, I guess we're friends now, right?"
"Of course! You're the first friend I've made here."
Su Yudie spoke very seriously, but Zhuang Zi'ang didn't understand.
What did she mean by 'the first friend'?